Those are among the finest moments of life, to observe such human riches in action and the results. I feel fortunate that in my own life I have had quite a few such encounters. Some such encounters may make one a bit more effective oneself. Others create in one's mind a goal to strive for. And others simply enrich the ambiance of one's life.

An exhilarating thing about the colloquium is the parade of talent and insights.

I subscribed to the coloquium simply hoping I would pick up a thing or two that might help me improve a website. However, what I ran into far exceeded my expectations. There is not a thing I do or think that someone else does or thinks far better, right down to such a seemingly simple act as taking lecture notes! (Thanks, Bill.)

That website, Fleabyte, came into being in the context of a users group, a Be Operating System Users Group. It is a context through which one meets good people, but also runs into all sorts of juvenile stuff in which, as a social being, one may participate to some extent. Fortunately, through site-related work, I have also been able to help a few really talented, young people to learn do some things a little better. For a teacher that is gratifying.

I am now in the process of loosening my site from the narrower bounds of user group activities, a process hastened by accidentally falling into this colloquium's fine ambiance. At the present time, therefore, I have come to wonder whether Fleabyte might play a valuable role by reflecting some of the work and ideas encountered on this colloquium -- while sticking to its stated, principal objective. Doing so would entail "translating" (no, not popularizing!) the intellectual content of the Colloquium so as to target a more general, young public at a more individualistic level than those engaged in organizations. Forever the optimist, my hunch is that this, with some practice, is doable.

While these thoughts were turning over in my mind, I have been asked by Dr. Engelbart to become webmaster for his Bootstrap site. Yes, it does seem a reckless move on his part. I believe my principal qualification for deserving his trust is that I am retired. He knows that I have a lot to learn about webmastering.

The reason for me bringing up this issue is that, clearly, the Bootstrap work must take precedence over Fleabyte work. Nevertheless, I am kind of hoping that I may receive positive responses from individuals who contributed to this colloquium if and when I ask them for some specific contribution to the Fleabyte pages. Or, perhaps even, taking on some specific editorial rolls.

May I look forward to privately e-mailed responses, be they encouraging, cautioning, or discouraging? Mostly such e-mail should be PRIVATE so as not to interfere with the Colloquium's "official" discussions.

Sincerely,

Henry

Henry van Eyken
vaneyken@sympatico.ca
Fleabyte -- Fleabyte -- http://www.fleabyte.org -- is
an evolving, experimental web-publication
devoted to public computency, which, like
common literacy, is regarded as essential
to an environmentally healthy, democratic
society.